Actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard know what it’s like to have one’s personal life become public, as fans have been following their split and legal battle for years. In addition to facing off in a Virginia court with their defamation cases, the former couple was also dealing with the court of public opinion. And in the wake of Depp’s trial results, an online petition to remove Heard from Aquaman 2 is nearing another huge number.
After Johnny Depp was asked to step down from his role as Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, his fans started a petition on Change.Org. They wanted to see Amber Heard similarly fired by Warner Bros., given her ongoing role as Mera in the DCEU. And now that Depp has come out the victor in court, the petition is getting even more signatures. In fact, it’s quickly nearing the 5 million mark.
At the time of writing this story, the Amber Heard petition has nearly 4.5 million online signatures, with more being added every few minutes. During her defamation trial against Johnny Depp, the Aquaman star was the subject of countless memes, as the proceedings in court played out live on our TVs. And now that the jury decided largely against her, more people seemingly want to see her removed from James Wan’s upcoming blockbuster Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
While Amber Heard is indeed expected to appear in Aquaman 2, testimony during her defamation trial offered more information about her standing in the DC Extended Universe. It turns out that there was a chance for her to be fired earlier, but not due to the online petition. Instead, the reason given was her poor chemistry with Jason Momoa. And while Warner Bros. hasn’t actually parted ways with the actress, Mera is also expected to have a much smaller role in The Lost Kingdom.
As previously mentioned, the petition made about Amber Heard and Aquaman 2 came in direct response to Johnny Depp’s departure from Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. He was asked by Warner Bros. to step down from the magical villain after losing his libel case against the U.K. publication The Sun. While Depp took umbrage with being referred to as a “wife beater”, the courts ultimately ruled against him.
The actual contents of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom remain an unconfirmed mystery for the time being, but Amber Heard also reprised her role as Mera for Zack Snyder’s Justice League. The four-hour streaming event featured more of her signature character, Heard was also one of few actors who participated in the reshoots necessary to bring the new Knightmare sequence to life.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is currently expected to arrive in theaters on March 17th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
